Improved fire-alarm



FONTAINE & SIMONS.

Fire Alarm.

Patented Nov. 13,4866;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EUGENE FONTATNE AND OSCAR A. SIMONS, OF FORTWAYNE, INDIANA.

IMPROVED FIRE-ALARM.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,579, dated November13, 1866.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, EUGENE FONTAINE andOscar. A. SrMoNs, of Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State ofIndiana, have invented a newand Improved Fire-Alarm and we do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a plan or front Viewof this invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class offire-alarms the operation of which depends upon the expansion of a wire.This wire is stretched over a series of roller-studs secured in a boardor bed-plate, to which the entire mechanism is attached, and it isstrained to such a degree that it re tains a plunger which is'exposed tothe action of a spiral spring in a certain position. If the temperaturerises, causing the wire to stretch, the plunger follows the action ofthe spring, and, by pushing against a pair of toggle-arms, throws themout of their balance, and allows a spring to act on a rod, whereby analarm is sounded.

A represents the bed-plate of our mechanism, which is made of wood orany other suitable material. 011 the bed-plate is secured the metal cageB, which incloses the togglearms 0 and the spring D. One end of thetoggle-arms is hinged to the side of the cage, and their other end isexposed to the action of the spring, which may be made of any suitableinaterial, and in any desirable shape or form, and which has a tendencyto bring the toggle-arms in the position shown in red out lines inFig. 1. From the loose end of said toggle-arms extends a rod, E, whichconnects by a wire, or in any other suitable manner, with a bell orother device capable of producing an alarm.

When the toggle'arms are straightened out and brought in the position inwhich they are shown in black outlines in Fig. 1, their point ofconnection being slightly above their line of equilibrium, they bearagainst a rod, a,

which extends into the interior of the cylinder F, and through the same,and which is provided with a disk, b, working in the cylinder, asclearly shown in the dawings. On said disk bears a spiral spring, 0, thetension of which can be regulated by a cap, (I, screwing on the end ofthe cylinder. The inner end of the rod a is provided with anextension-piece, 0, so that its length can be regulated according to theposition of the toggle-arms, and its outer end connects to a wire, j,which passes round a series of studs, g, to a tension device, h. Thestuds g are secured in the bed-plate A, and each is provided with one ormore grooved rollers, over which the wire passes, so that acomparatively long wire can be put up in a small space.

The tension device It consists of a simple button, which turns in asuitable socket, and which is provided with a ratchet-wheel andstop-pawl, so that said button is retained in the desired position afterthe wire has been strained to the proper degree. By straining the wire fthe spring 0 in the cylinder F is compressed, and if the wire extends orstretch es from some cause, the rod to is forced in toward thetoggle-arms by the action of the spring 0, and as soon as the joint ofsaid toggle-arms is forced past the line of equilibrium, the spring Dtakes effect, and throws the toggle-arms back to the position in whichthe same are shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings in red outlines. By thesemeans the rod E is exposed to a strain, which is transmitted to thealarm, and causes the same to sound.

A set-screw, t, serves to adjustthe toggle arms after the same have beenset as close to their line of equilibrium as may be desirable, so thatthe same are thrown by a greater or less extension of the wire f; and ifthe bedplate A is hung up in a room or building, our apparatus can beused to indicate any increase of the temperature, or it can be soadjusted that the alarm is sounded as soon as the temperature risesbeyond a certain point. When placed in the hold of a vessel, it willprevent spontaneous combustion of the cargo, for whenever thetemperature rises beyond a certain point, the alarm will be sounded; orour apparatus may be put up in different rooms of a hotel, and connectedwith the annunciator, so that in case a tire occurs in either of therooms the person having charge of the office will see at once which roomit is, and the fire can be checked and put out before it does muchdamage.

What We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The toggle-arms O and spring D, in combination with the spring a, roda, and wire f, constructed and operating substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. The studs g and tension device h, in combination with the Wire f,bed-plate A, supportin g the alarm mechanism, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

EUGENE EoN'rAiNE. OSCAR A. SIMONS.

Witnesses D. B. STRAPE, Trros. MEEGAN.

